We recently connected with Lauren Thompson and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
As we grow as photographers, we are eager to have our own shooting space for all the right and fun reasons! With that, we have control over access, decor, lighting, equipment and have a physical footprint to market. Dreamy!
Owning a studio, big or small, creates tons of opportunities but also forces us to carry year round fixed overhead.
For many of us, trying to be creative with shooting locations while keeping our overhead variable and low is top of mind. There are lots of ways to accomplish a hybrid!
Lauren, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am an Atlanta based portrait photographer focusing on helping women and girls feel confident in their skin in front of the camera.
Whether working with professional women for branding or headshot sessions, snapping sports action or posing high school seniors, I love it all! My goal is to help every step of the way from clothing choices, location options, beautiful lighting and confidence building while shooting. I am your BFF from start to finish!
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
When I was just scratching the surface of photography I did take a half day in person class. It was a great first step, but that’s all it was.
Next I would practice and struggle and practice and fail and practice and YouTube and repeat. I wasted a lot of time doing that.
I wish I had found an all-encompassing education program, made the monetary investment and then time investment to thoroughly go through the program. I eventually did this, but I wish I had done it 3 years earlier!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My mission is to support and impact young girls and women through my camera lens. Helping them feel confident and being their biggest cheerleader while also helping them with choosing outfits and advising on hair/makeup. Not many of us are natural-born supermodels, but on set with me you’ll feel like a million bucks!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lollypoplenses.shootproof.com/
- Instagram: @LollyPop_Lenses
- Facebook: @LollyPopLenses
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-thompson-00503a5
Image Credits
Lauren “Lolly” Thompson w/LollyPop Lenses